This invention relates to improvements in animal identification.
Worldwide there is a trend toward secure identification and tracking of animals, especially those intended for human consumption. For example, in many countries it is obligatory to provide a means of identification of animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs and goats to achieve a means of health tracking of the animals. The identification is achieved by marking the animals.
Visual or electronic eartags are a common method of identification. The identification can be in the form, which relates to the animal and to its biological data and geographical origin e.g. the place it was bred, the herd of origin and the breeder.
The animal identification marking(s) and data relating to the animal are generally held in centralised, computerised databanks. The information held in the databanks can be accessed by interested or need to know parties. The databanks can, for example, be accessed for updating and information retrieval by say breeders, government authorities, livestock organisations, veterinary services and the like.
Efforts to achieve maximum security of identification of individual animals have resulted in animal tag manufacturers coming up with designs of tags, which are so-called tamper-proof. This means that the tags cannot be readily removed from an animal. Also, or alternatively, the tags can be constructed so that if removed the tag is unable to be reused or if reused, it is tamper-evident. A tamper-evident marking device alerts authorities and the like to the possibility that the animal does not relate to the marking that it carries.
In the further pursuit of security or integrity of identification of individual animals, proposals have been made for sampling organic material from animals for storage and later DNA analysis. For example, patent specification WO 9961882 discloses a device and procedure whereby a sample of organic tissue is punched or cut from the animal and placed in a receptacle. The receptacle may then be combined with an eartag with both the receptacle and tag having the same markings.
Other similar proposals have been made. For example, EP 1060662 describes an eartag where the male punch has a cutting means, which is detachable from the punch. It is then housed in a capsule, which is carried in the female portion of the tag.
Patent specification WO 0118239 discloses a device for collecting and storing a biological sample for subsequent analysis, the device comprising tamper-evident storage means for storing the sample. The storage means is suitable for digestion, together with the biological sample, for analysis.
Previous attempts at providing secure identification and tracking of animals has therefore concentrated on the individual physical elements or components used in conjunction with an animal e.g. an eartag, a device for secure storage of sample organic material etc. As a consequence, the integrity of the information is not assured, as it is open to human error.
For example, it is common that the markings with correlate a biological sample to an identification means (whether it be visual or electronic) carried by the animal, is achieved by the farmer or a technician physically marking the sample and/or the on-animal identification device. Consequently, there is a high degree of possibility that the device storing the biological sample will be provided with an incorrect marking for the animal from which the sample was taken.